New York University
Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
UPADM-GP228
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues in public policy
Fall 2012
Adjunct Assistant Professor Sean Cahill
Monday 6:20-9:00pm
Location: Bldg 25W4 Room:C-10
Office hours: TBD (sc173@nyu.edu)
Course description
LGBT people experience inequality and exclusion in a wide range of state and federal
policy arenas. However, public policies and attitudes are changing, as we saw recently
with the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the extension of marriage equality in New York
and Maryland, and President Obama’s stated support for same-sex marriage. This course
examines the history of urban LGBT communities in the U.S. since the 1920s, and the
pro- and anti-gay political forces that emerged in the late 1940s; the current debate over
marriage, parenting, and family recognition; demographics of LGBT community,
including race and gender differences among same-sex couples, and the particular
experiences of LGBT people of color; the major policy issues affecting LGBT people,
including elder, youth and health policy; how LGBT policy controversies play out in U.S.
electoral politics and public opinion; and the status of LGBT people and homosexually
active people around the world and in global policy and funding bodies.
Course requirements/grading
One brief paper (5-7 pages) will be assigned, and there is a mid-term and final exam.
Students will also prepare one in-class presentation on a topic to be agreed upon with the
lecturer. Students are also expected to participate in class discussions which are based on
the assigned readings. The paper is worth 25% of the final grade, the mid-term exam
25%, the final 25%, and in-class participation, including the in-class presentation, 25%.
An in-class mid-term exam will be given Monday, October 22nd. A final take-home exam
will be due Monday December 17th.
Paper topics should be agreed to with the instructor by Monday, October 29th, and are due
in class Monday, November 12th.
Students should sign up to do a presentation by Monday September 24th. Presentations
will start October 3rd and continue through the last class, Wednesday, December 12th.
Please adhere to NYU’s Academic Honesty policy. For more information see
http://wagner.nyu.edu/current/policies/
There are two required texts for the class and many journal articles and book chapters.
All articles and single book chapters will be available from the Bobst Library ejournal
site or posted on Blackboard. The two texts will be placed on reserve at Bobst Library.
While the readings appear substantial, they average about 100 pages per week. Many
articles are very short. The texts are:
Rimmerman, C., & Wilcox, C. (eds.) The Politics of Same-Sex Marriage. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 2007.
Cianciotto, J. & Cahill, S., LGBT Youth in America’s Schools. Ann Arbor: University of
Michigan Press. 2012.
In-class video clips will also complement readings and discussions.
Part I: Historical context
September 10, 2012: The mid-20th century to 1980
The homophile movement, Mattachine Society, Daughters of Bilitis, and pre-Stonewall
activism; Stonewall (June 1969) and the first “gay pride” protests; the first pro-gay policy
innovations in the early 1970s and the birth of the anti-gay movement in 1974; the
polarization of U.S. party politics starting in 1980.
Required reading:
D’Emilio, J. Sexual politics, sexual communities: The making of a homosexual minority
in the United States, 1940-1970. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. Chapter 2,
“Forging a group identity: World War II and the emergence of an urban gay subculture,”
pp. 23-39.
Cahill, S. Same-sex marriage in the United States: Focus on the facts, New York:
Lexington Books, 2004. Chapter 4, “Gay rights on the political stage,” (overview of gay
rights issues in U.S. politics, 1972-2004).
September 17: 1980-the 1990s
The rise of the Christian right and the deployment of the “special rights” claim; AIDS
and the emergence of a gay institutional infrastructure, radical street politics (ACT-UP);
organizing re: AIDS, hate violence and the military ban
Required reading:
Vaid, U., Virtual equality: The mainstreaming of gay and lesbian liberation, New York:
Anchor Books, 1995, Chapter 3, “AIDS and transformation,” pp. 69-105.
Cohen, C., The boundaries of Blackness: AIDS and the breakdown of Black politics,
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999, Chapter 3, “Enter AIDS: Context and
confrontation,” pp. 78-118.
Randolph Frye, P. “Facing discrimination, organizing for freedom: The transgender
community,” in John D’Emilio, William Turner, and Urvashi Vaid (eds.), Creating
change: Sexuality, public policy, and civil rights, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2002.
September 24: The current debate over marriage equality and the anti-gay
movement
Required reading:
Blankenhorn, D., “Protecting marriage to protect children,” Los Angeles Times,
September 19, 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-blankenhorn192008sep19,0,6057126.story
National Organization for Marriage, “Marriage talking points.” Accessed July 6, 2011.
http://www.nationformarriage.org/site/c.omL2KeN0LzH/b.4475595/k.566A/Marriage_T
alking_Points.htm
Riggle, E. and Rostosky, S., “The consequences of marriage policy for same-sex couples’
well-being,” in Rimmerman, C., & Wilcox, C. (eds.), The politics of same-sex marriage.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007, pp. 65-84.
Cahill, S., “The anti-gay marriage movement,” in Rimmerman & Wilcox, 2007, pp. 155191.
Tadlock, B. et al., “Framing the issue of same-sex marriage: Traditional values versus
equal rights,” in Rimmerman and Wilcox, 2007, pp. 193-214.
Part II: Demographics
October 1: How many LGBT people are there? Race and gender differences
Required reading:
Gates, G., How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender? Los Angeles:
UCLA Williams Institute, April 2011.
http://www3.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/pdf/How-many-people-are-LGBT-Final.pdf
Cahill, S., “Black and Latino same-sex couple households and the racial dynamics of
anti-gay activism.” Black sexualities: Probing powers, passions, practices, and policies.
Battle, J. and Barnes, S. (Editors), New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2010,
p. 243-268
Dang. A. et al., Living in the margins: A national survey of lesbian, gay bisexual and
transgender Asian Pacific Islander Americans. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Policy Institute and several API LGBT organizations, 2007, executive summary.
http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/API_ExecutiveSummaryEnglish.
pdf
Gilley, B.J., Becoming two-spirit: Gay identity and social acceptance in Indian country.
Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Pres, 2006, Chapter 2: “From gay to Indian,”
pp. 23-50.
Part III: Key policy issues in the United States
October 8: Discrimination, income, the justice system
Required reading:
Badgett, L., Lau, H., Sears, B., and Ho, D. Bias in the workplace: Consistent evidence of
sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. Los Angeles: UCLA Williams
Institute, 2007.
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/5h3731xr
Grant, J., Mottet, L., and Tanis, J. Injustice at every turn: A report of the National
Transgender Discrimination Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender
Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2011. Executive summary.
http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/ntds_summary.pdf
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force comments on national standards for prevention of
sexual abuse in prisons under the Prison Rape Elimination Act, 2010.
Cahill, S. Prison sexual abuse and LGBT prisoners. New York: National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute, 2006.
Both at:
http://raisingthebarcoalition.org/common/files/NGLTF-comments.pdf
***October 15: Fall Recess, no class***
October 22: Parenting and family recognition
Required reading:
Cahill, S. & Tobias, S. Policy issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
families. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2007, Chapter 3 (“Legal protections
for families and children”), pp. 55-82.
Perrin, E. and the Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health.
“Technical report: Co-parent or second-parent adoption by same-sex parents,” Pediatrics,
109(2), 2002, pp 341–344.
Stacey, J., & Biblarz, T., “(How) does the sexual orientation of the parent matter?”
American Sociological Review, 66(2), 2001, pp 159-183.
Fein-Zachary, V. & LaCava, L., “LGBT couples and families with children,” in
Makadon, H. et al. (eds.) The Fenway guide to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
health, Philadelphia: American College of Physicians, 2008, pp. 100-134.
October 29: Elder issues
Required reading:
Cahill, S., & South, K. “Policy issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
people in retirement.” Generations (Journal of the American Society on Aging). Vol.
XXVI, No. 11, 2002, pp. 49-54.
Cahill, S., “The coming GLBT senior boom,” Gay and Lesbian Review, JanuaryFebruary 2007.
http://www.glreview.com/issues/14.1/14.1-cahill.php
Stein, G., Beckerman, N., & Sherman P. Lesbian and gay elders and long-term care:
Identifying the unique psychosocial perspectives and challenges. Journal of
Gerontological Social Work. 2010.
Brennan, M., Seidel, L., London, A., Cahill, S., & Karpiak, S. (in press). “Service
Utilization among Older Adults with HIV: The Joint Association of Sexual Identity and
Gender.” Journal of Homosexuality.
November 5: LGBT youth disparities and resiliency
Cianciotto, J. & Cahill, S., LGBT Youth in America’s Schools. Ann Arbor: University of
Michigan Press. 2012. First half of book (chapters 1-5).
Hatzenbuehler, M. “The social environment and suicide attempts in lesbian, gay, and
bisexual youth,” Pediatrics, 127(5), May 2011, pp. 896-903. Published online April 18,
2011.
November 12: School-based interventions to support LGBT youth, children of
LGBT parents; ex-gay therapy and LGBT youth
Cianciotto, J. & Cahill, S., LGBT Youth in America’s Schools. Ann Arbor: University of
Michigan Press. 2012. Second half of book (Chapters 6-9).
Cianciotto, J. and Cahill, S. Youth in the Crosshairs: The Third Wave of Ex-Gay
Activism. New York: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute. 2006.
Executive summary, pp. 1-8.
http://thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/YouthInTheCrosshairs.pdf
November 19: LGBT health
Required reading:
U.S. Supreme Court decision on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, June 2012,
excerpts (to be provided).
Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Issues and Research Gaps
and Opportunities; Board on the Health of Select Populations; Institute of Medicine, The
Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding, Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2011, Summary, S1-S5.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13128
Hatzenbuehler, M., Keyes, K., and Hasin, D., “State-level policies and psychiatric
morbidity in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations,” American Journal of Public Health,
99(12), December 2009, pp. 2275-2281.
Bradford, J., Cahill, S., Grasso, C., and Makadon, H. Why ask about sexual orientation
and gender identity in clinical settings. Boston: Fenway Institute. 2012.
http://www.fenwayhealth.org/site/DocServer/Policy_Brief_WhyGather..._v6_01.09.12.p
df?docID=9141
November 26: HIV
Required reading:
Millett, G. et al. “Greater risk for HIV infection of black men who have sex with men: A
critical literature review.” American Journal of Public Health. 96(6), 2006, pp. 10071019.
Herrick, A., Lim, S., Wei, C., Smith, H., Guadamuz, T., Friedman, M., and Stall, R.,
“Resilience as an untapped resource in behavioral intervention design for gay men,”
AIDS and Behavior, 15(S1), April 2011, S25-S29.
Cahill, S. Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention: Moving toward implementation.
Boston: The Fenway Institute. 2012.
http://www.fenwayhealth.org/site/DocServer/PolicyFocus_PrEP_v7_02.21.12.pdf?docID
=9321
Part IV: Government institutions and public opinion
December 3: Government institutions and LGBT equality; public opinion and
voting behavior; the functions of anti-gay ballot measures
Required reading:
Rimmerman, C., “The presidency, Congress, and same-sex marriage,” in Rimmerman,
C., et al., (eds.), The politics of same-sex marriage. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 2007, pp. 273-290.
O’Connor, K. & Yanus, A., “‘Til death—or the Supreme Court—do us part: Litigating
gay marriage,” in Rimmerman and Wilcox, 2007, 291-311.
Reading on repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (to be provided)
Barth, J. “Political culture, public opinion, and policy (non)diffusion: The case of gayand lesbian-related issues in Arkansas.” Social Science Quarterly. 90(2): 2009. 309ff.
Haider Markel, D. “Value war: Public opinion and the politics of gay rights.” Political
Communication. 27(1): 2010. 104ff.
Lofton, K. & Haider-Markel, D., “The politics of same-sex marriage versus the politics of
gay civil rights: A comparison of public opinion and state voting patterns,” in
Rimmerman, C., & Wilcox, C. (eds.), The politics of same-sex marriage, Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 2007, pp. 313-340.
.
Part V: The global context of LGBT rights and health
December 10: LGBT rights
These everyday humiliations: Violence against lesbians, bisexual women, and
transgender men in Kyrgyzstan. Human Rights Watch, 2008.
http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2008/10/06/these-everyday-humiliations-0
Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, “Remarks in recognition of International Human Rights
Day,” Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2011.
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/12/178368.htm
United Nations Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Discriminatory
laws and policies and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual
orientation and gender identity. Geneva. November 17, 2011. (First-ever UN report on
sexual orientation and gender identity.)
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/19session/A.HRC.19.41_English.p
df
December 12: LGBT health, including HIV
U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, “Technical guidance on combination
HIV prevention…for men who have sex with men,” Washington, DC: May 2011.
http://www.pepfar.gov/documents/organization/164010.pdf
American Foundation for AIDS Research (Amfar) Achieving an AIDS-free generation for
gay men and other MSM: Financing and implementation of HIV programs targeting
MSM. Washington, DC: amfar, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2012.
Miller, A. “Uneasy promises : Sexuality, health, and human rights.” American Journal of
Public Health. 91(6): 861-864. 2001.
http://www.amfar.org/uploadedFiles/_amfar.org/In_The_Community/Publications/MSMGlobalRept2012.pdf